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I really hope nobody's offended by this, but... in the past I've made casual observations that there seems to be a higher-than-average percentage of left-handed people in the scientific community where I work currently, and a higher-than-average percentage of dyslexic people in the Art School where I worked before. And now, having spent some time in the company of other cyclists, and watching the goings-on in some cycling forums, I'm wondering if there's an unusually high percentage of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome in the cycling community. Perhaps the recumbent cycling community specifically?

Before you all spill your beer and start spewing vitriol and venom, have a look though the following list of criteria for diagnosis, and see if any bells start ringing. I can think of a few people who tick most of the boxes, all cyclists, but i think in my life I've only ever come across one obvious case outside of the cycling community.

GILLBERG'S CRITERIA FOR ASPERGER'S DISORDER

1.Severe impairment in reciprocal social interaction
(at least two of the following)
(a) inability to interact with peers
(b) lack of desire to interact with peers
(c) lack of appreciation of social cues
(d) socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior

2.All-absorbing narrow interest
(at least one of the following)
(a) exclusion of other activities
(b) repetitive adherence
(c) more rote than meaning

3.Imposition of routines and interests
(at least one of the following)
(a) on self, in aspects of life
(b) on others

I have wondered the same thing, reading forums, but to generalize a population based on those who hold forth upon a topic which interests them is not, I think, going to be accurate.

Speaking for myself, and only for myself, I am a fairly high function(that means that I do not wear and anorak and hang out at the train station with a clipboard)Aspy.

and I f-----g hate recumbents.

thing is, I have no real idea if we can smell our own or not outside of the comic book/star treck/Sci Fi convention.

So my advice is, unless you get a grant to study this(in which case I really want to know about the results)it may be best to just drop it. Otherwise some dark night you may be made to dissapear by a bunch of shadowy figures who make no eye contact and use strange vocal tones. Wearing anoraks.

So my advice is, unless you get a grant to study this(in which case I really want to know about the results)it may be best to just drop it. Otherwise some dark night you may be made to dissapear by a bunch of shadowy figures who make no eye contact and use strange vocal tones. Wearing anoraks.

As the father of a child that is on the autism spectrum with aspbergers tendencies, I am intrigued by this idea! I guess that the need to focus inward while cycling and the repetitive nature of the sport could be appealing to aspies.

Most of the others that I have ridden with are technology/engineering types. From my experiences with volunteering at a school for autistic children and meeting many of the parents of other kids on the spectrum, I have seen that these types of careers are especially appealing to aspies.

Hmm... I will mention this to an occupational therapist that I know and will see what she thinks.

I think people just naturally have a certain desire to be popular and to be like everyone else. But when you get into activities that are somewhat or very unusual, there is a tendency for the participants to be somewhat or very unusual as well. I think this applies to cyclists as a group, particularly serious cyclists. Perhaps more so to recumbent riders, unicyclists, tall-bike riders, etc. But the differences don't seem to be along the lines of the syndrome listed.

As far as I can tell by reading, practically ALL recumbent riders either still ride upright bikes or used to. And perhaps the majority of upright bike riders are either going to quit riding at some age, or switch to recumbents. I assume the syndrome described is not something that onsets with age.

__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."

Yeah, I have Asperger's
but that why I'm a Computer Programmer, not necesarially why I'm a cyclist.

I don't see a link between tech industry and biking really... tho with the software companies tending to be in nice neighborhoods I guess there a good chance of people biking. Plus lots of them provide those yellow 'company bikes' for getting around large facilities...

Interesting, my son just turned two a few days ago and we just got back from an eval. We have been aware of him having issues for a while and have been working with OTs, Speech Therapists etc. They just decided to put him in the "Autism Spectrum" category and possibly Aspergers down the road.

Hopefully the positive side to this will be that he enjoys cycling with me. He already likes the trailer and baby seat.

I have always wondered what was wrong with me, and now I know. I have a particularly virulent strain called Trekatocitis Meadreous, which causes me to ride only Trek products in concentric circles until I actually crash into myself!

I've never heard of Asperger's Syndrome but I am interested in finding out more (like if there is anything "cool" about having it)...I can personally relate to a lot of the criteria.

Its basically the sterotypical 'geek' disease.
Awkward about socialization.
Overly focused on interests to the point of excluding other things. (helps with becoming really good at technical stuff, since that kind of career already fits this tendency)
OCD-like habits.

I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence. I don't have any of these symptoms except repetitive adherence.